Spider's Web
by doomweasel
Summary: Edited May 5th. A oneshot depicting when Axel recieves his orders to go to Castle Oblivion.


Axel looked around at the opulent furnishings with disgust. He never understood his superior's taste for such elaborate fineries. It was just unnecessary clutter that took up space, making one more thing that needed to be taken care of.

"I'm assigning you to Castle Oblivion," Xemnas said from his overstuffed armchair.

"Marluxia's place?" Axel asked, his attention returning to his superior. "_Why?_"

"It's come to my attention that Number Eleven is planning a _coup d'état. _He's already attempting to recruit other members. I want you to go there as a spy, infiltrate his plans, and take whatever measures necessary to stop him."

As Xemnas spoke, Axel, who'd always preferred being on his feet to sitting, paced aimlessly around the room, his boots making hardly a sound on the thick Persian rug. "How'd you find out about it?" he asked, picking up a bottle of wine and examining its label. _Why does he have this? He doesn't even drink._

"My methods are none of your concern," Xemnas answered in a dangerous tone, his eyes narrowing.

Unimpressed, Axel rolled his eyes and put the bottle back on the wine rack. "Any other stipulations, oh exalted One?"

"Kill anyone included."

Axel's hand paused over a polished marble globe as he processed the command. After a second, he smirked. "All right, then." He hefted the marble sphere and began tossing it from hand to hand. "Anything else?" Raising the globe to eye level, Axel admired the swirls of black and white dancing across its surface before setting it down. "About the Keyblade Master, for instance?"

Xemnas frowned slightly in irritation, making Axel suppress a smile. "Keep him alive," Xemnas ordered, "but don't let him learn of our plans. Above all, do _not_ let him find out about Number Thirteen, under _any _circumstances. Understood?"

"Perfectly." Upon closer examination, Axel, noticed, the room wasn't nearly as grand as it first appeared. The drapes were faded, the furniture was chipped, the countertops were dusty. He spied a spider web in the one corner, the spider itself hidden, waiting for the proper time to reveal itself – right before the fatal bite.

"This is a critical time in our plans," Xemnas said, rising from his seat and pacing to a floor-length window. "We stand at the brink of success; in a matter of weeks everything we've been working for could come to fruition."

_Christ, he's lecturing again,_ Axel thought.

"And that is why we can't allow anything to disrupt our plans," Xemnas continued, turning to face Axel with an intense glare. "We've sacrificed too much to fail now."

By now Axel was only halfway listening; he'd spotted an errant fly buzzing erratically around the room and was silently willing it towards the spider web. He wanted to see how big the spider actually was. It'd surprise you sometimes – huge, elaborate webs were made by miniscule spiders, while the biggest spiders made no web at all.

"That means _staying focused on the task at hand,_" Xemnas concluded. He was now standing mere inches away from Axel, having walked across the room while he was distracted. Xemnas gave him a look that could have melted solid granite.

Axel tore his eyes away from the fly and met Xemnas's gaze. "Oh, absolutely," he agreed, grinning.

Xemnas was not convinced. "Let me make one thing painfully clear to you, Number Eight," he hissed, "I don't trust you any more than Marluxia – possibly less so."

"Don't flatter me, please."

"The only reason I'm entrusting this mission to you is because of your previous displays of… expertise. You do a good job, regardless of your real motives." Xemnas arched one eyebrow. "And your impudence notwithstanding," he added disdainfully.

"Why, thank you." By now the fly was buzzing just a few inches away from the web, just behind Xemnas's head.

"I trust I've made my point across."

Axel rolled back slightly on his heels and counted off each item on his fingers. "Let's see… Go to Castle Oblivion. Spy on Marluxia. Don't kill the Keyblade Master. Keep Number Thirteen a secret. And, when the time is right…" He blew a puff of air towards the fly, and the gust of wind sent the insect tumbling into the spider's web. A split second later, the spider – a large, gray, hairy thing – darted out from its hiding place in the shadows and bit down on the struggling fly, killing it. Axel smiled and his eyes glinted maliciously at the sight. "When the time is right, spring the trap."


End file.
